요한계시록의 일곱 교회에 보내는 말씀과 타문화권 선교

Messages to the Seven Churches of the Book of Revelation and Cross−cultural Mission

The author visited Asia Minor in Turkey and Patmos Island in Greece. In the midst of the once passionate mission fields of the seven churches of the Book of Revelation, the author received flashes of missiological insight and inspiration. The seven churches represent the churches of the apostolic age and in some way represent churches in every age. The risen Christ’s messages to the seven churches could be Christ's suggestions to today's cross−cultural missionary. To interpret the messages the author uses missional hermeneutic instead of using the existing methods (the continuous−historical, preterist, futurist, and idealist methods). This article can be classified as theology of mission, not a biblical commentary on the messages of the seven churches. Chapter 2, consisting of five sections, covers the messages to the seven churches and cross−cultural mission. The five subtitles are as follows: 1. Messages to the churches in Ephesus; mission as an act of faith. 2. Messages to the churches in Smyrna; mission as being faithful even to the point of death. 3. Messages to the churches in Pergamum; mission as power evangelism starting from repentance. 4. Messages to the churches in Thyatira, Sardis, and Philadelphia; mission as holding what an awakened one has. 5. Messages to the churches in Laodicea; mission as being either cold or hot. The author concludes this article by emphasizing that the messages to the seven churches of the Book of Revelation are prophecies which speak to churches in every age. The author takes the seven messages as prophecies to cross−cultural missionary, and emphasizes that the results will be determined by the attitude of cross−cultural missionary.